What was Leopold von Ranke’s first major book about?

Leopold von Ranke’s maiden work, published in 1824, was titled Geschichte der romanischen und germanischen Völker von 1494 bis 1514 (History of the Latin and Teutonic Nations from 1494 to 1514).1

This book focused on the struggle between the French and the Habsburgs for control of Italy, which Ranke identified as the phase that ushered in a new historical era. The volume also included an important appended treatise, Zur Kritik neuerer Geschichtsschreiber, in which he argued that the critical analysis of tradition is the fundamental task of the historian.1